Gold Plated Jewelry: 10 Things You Need To Know To Follow The Gold Trend

Gold Plated Jewelry: 10 Things You Need To Know To Follow The Gold Trend

Classic is the new trendy. And there is no doubt in the contemporary world including jewelry sphere.

Fashion jewelry styles come and go as the season changes. For those who love to stay up to date with their jewelry collection, it can be a headache especially if you want to chase the trend but don’t want to spend exorbitant money doing it.

That’s why you should stick to the classics. It’s always on-trend no matter what and the investment that you put in on these pieces doesn’t fade away after one fashion season.

Take gold jewelry pieces for example. This style survived the test of time and still making headways in the fashion world. Here’s what you need to know on how to follow the gold trend:

  1. Gold Doesn’t Mean Expensive

That’s right, you don’t need to break your bank to have gold jewelry pieces!

Gold Plated Necklace

We’re not talking about buying “gold-like” or faux gold jewelry. The best way to follow the gold trend on a budget is to stick to gold-plated jewelry. These pieces have real gold: 14k, 18k, 24k gold as coating, but the base is made of cheaper metal or alloy.

  1. You Can’t Tell The Difference Between Solid Gold and Gold Plated Jewelry

Unless you’re a professional jewelry identifier or expert, it’s almost impossible to tell the difference between solid gold and gold plated jewelry by sight.

Like we said before, gold plated jewelry uses real gold. The only difference is that the gold used in plating is “diluted” during the plating process to coat the whole jewelry, but the physical outcome still looks like solid gold.

  1. The Base Of A Gold Plated Jewelry Can Be Anything

The gold plating process can be done on almost all metals used in jewelry. This includes both ends of the high and low scale.

If you want to get your money’s worth on gold-plated fashion jewelry, choose a base metal that is of higher quality. There’s titanium, stainless steel, or silver. Brass, copper, and nickel work well too.

  1. Gold Plated Jewelry is Hypoallergenic

Good news for people who have sensitive skin, gold-plated jewelry pieces are hypoallergenic!

It’s a more affordable option and more accessible to solid gold so you won’t have any hard time finding a cute piece that works well for you.  Just a heads up though, you should definitely ask about the material used for the base metal. Steer clear of nickel bases since that’s the most common root of skin allergies.

  1. The More Gold-Like The Color is, The Better

Even if it’s gold plated, the karat still matters for this type of jewelry. While the value of the jewelry itself might not be directly affected by the quality of gold used in the plating process, the look of the jewelry highly depends on it.

As a general rule, the more gold-like the appearance and color of the jewelry, the higher the karat of the gold used in plating.

  1. The Value of Gold Plated Jewelry Usually Doesn’t Appreciate

The advantage of solid gold jewelry is that you can consider it as an investment. Depending on the purity of the gold and the condition it’s in, you’ll probably get an equal or a higher value over time.

But when it comes to gold-plated jewelry, that principle doesn’t apply. That’s because while gold plated jewelry is made of real gold, the amount of gold that’s in it is very thin. So for establishments like gold refineries, the process to extract gold from gold plated jewelry is so tedious that the little amount of gold isn’t worth it.

That stays the same even when your jewelry is 24k gold plated. So if you’re looking to resell your jewelry in the future, gold plated pieces aren’t fit for that. However, if you own gold plated jewelry designed by famous jewelry designers or renown artist, then it will be a completely different story. The gold plated jewelry piece will actually be very valuable if it gets the VIP designers’ endorsement.

  1. Gold Electroplating Process Largely Affect the Gold Plated Jewelry Quality

Gold electroplating process usually includes three important steps. In the very begining, the jewelry item must be technically cleaned so that potential dirts or microparticles will be removed. The clearance of these substances will guarantee the bonding effect of gold layer and jewelry base. This step is of great important becasue it will largely determine the gold-plated jewelry quality.

After that, gold-plated jewelry manufacturer will apply another layer of specialized nickel onto the jewelry base. This nickel layer will work as a seperator, so that inner metal base and outer gold layer will not impact each other. It also prevents the jewelry base from being contaminated by the gold color during the delicate plating process.

When the two former significant procedures are finished, the jewelry piece will be dipped in the specially designed containers with a positive electrical charge and corresponding purity of gold to merge the gold onto the jewelry base. The jewelry will be hung to dry after the merging procedure.

So by briefly analyzing the gold electroplating procedures, we can easily conclude the high-calibre facilities. advanced techniques of jewelry manufacturer will render the quality of final effect of gold plated jewelry. If poor skills and crude manufacturing facilities were utilized, the unsatisfactory effect of gold plating will surface without doubt. Therefore, if you are pursuing high quality, robust effect of gold plated jewelry products, it is advisable to procure from reliable gold plated jewelry suppliers. If possible, do visit the workshop to personally check their gold electroplating process.

  1. Gold Plating Doesn’t Handle Rough Exposure Very Well and it will Tarnish

When you buy gold-plated jewelry, you really have to take care of it if you want to have it for a very long time. However, after we elaborating the gold plating process above, it is easily to concern gold plating jewelry is kind of vulnerable for a long time wearing. Regardless of the quality of your fashion jewelry, gold-plated jewelry will tarnish over time. It’s inevitable and if your seller says otherwise, take it with a grain of salt.

While the process of gold plating is permanent, that doesn’t mean that the jewelry piece won’t be susceptible to wear and tear. In fact, the gold plating can actually flake off if you’re not that careful. The reason behind this is that, unlike solid gold, gold plated jewelry has a base metal that is prone to oxidizing and corroding. Eventually, the base metal will start to break through the plating and tarnish the gold.

So make sure to not expose your jewelry to intense moisture, water, and other elements. Wipe it properly after every use and have a dedicated jewelry box to store it.

  1. You Can Have it Replated

Don’t just discard your old gold-plated jewelry pieces just yet. You can bring it to certain jewelry boutiques and have it replated! So if you have a jewelry piece that has sentimental value, you’ll be able to save it from wear and tear.

When replating, the thickness of it can be anywhere between 0.17 to 2.5 microns. If the piece is something that you wear a lot (like necklaces and bracelets), you might want to go for a plating that is above 0.5 microns so it can be better protected from scratches and other elements.

  1. Gold Plated Jewelry Simply Goes Well With Everything

This is something that most fashionistas would love to hear. The reason why gold-plated jewelry is a constant favorite for most people is that it could really go well with anything that you wear.

We’re talking about casual, everyday fashion jewelry pieces up to more elegant, formal looks. It’s also a good staple for jewelry owners since gold plated jewelry is fairly inexpensive compared to other higher-end fashion jewelry.

Plus, most jewelry shops including JewelryBund offer wholesale gold plated jewelry! It’s easy to buy, fits well with any type of style, and you don’t have to worry about it as much as other jewelry pieces.